Heavy Rope
by ForeverLostInThought
Summary: It's funny how gossip can steal you. It crouches at your door, waiting for you to snap. But once you've succumbed to it, there's still hope. "I stood there, breathless and scarred. That night's memories would haunt me for years. But as I looked into his eyes, my worries fled. "Why?" I wispered. "We all need to be saved at some point" he replied softly, and pulled me into a hug."
1. Chapter 1 - Dinner with Thalia

**EDIT: THIS CHAPTER IS AN OPENER. PLEASE BARE WITH IT.**

 **Hey** **Everyone I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I've finally developed a concept that I think is good. I've gone through and edited it a bit, but sorry if there are a few errors.**

 **DISCLAIMER!**

 **I don't own any of the Percy Jackson Characters or the franchise, this belongs to Rick Riordan and obviously I don't own it because why would I be writing a FANfiction if I did own it?**

I tucked a loose hair behind my ear as I continued typing my new article, which I was positive about it being a hit. It was about all the latest gossip in the Mclean family, which the reporters and paparazzi had collected over the past month. It wasn't that I was particularly happy about writing the article, but it was the only job I could find six years ago. Unluckily instead of quitting once I had enough money to become an architect, (which is my dream job by the way) I rose highly in the ranks and decided to stay. Only for a little longer.

I took a quick look at the clock, which read "5:30". Muttering a curse under my breath I turned off my computer and packed up my things.

"Hey I gotta go meet Thalia for dinner" I said to my co-worker Drew, while I passed by. Drew looked up from her work and waved slightly, which surprised me because she is always really snobby and rude.

"You better have the article finished by

Wednesday, or you'll be in trouble" she said in her snobby voice, which destroyed my thought of her being nice for once.

I rolled my eyes and made my way out of the office, passing by other workers along the way. Just as I got out of my office building, my phone started buzzing. I wasn't surprised to find it was Thalia.

"Hello?", "You better be on your way home if we want to be at the restaurant for six!" Thalia screamed into the phone, almost breaking my eardrums. I loved her to bits, (being my best friend since kindergarten and all) but sometimes she got a little.. loud.

"Relax, I just got out of the building" I reassured her.

I heard a small beep in the background and rustling, which I guessed was Thalia checking whatever the beep was.

"Good okay, just making sure! Love you bye!" she rushed.

The phone beeped and she had ended the call before I could say goodbye. I wondered what was up, because Thalia would never end a conversation like that. I would have to ask her at the restaurant.

I pulled open my car door, making the ten minute journey to my apartment that was located in central New York. The traffic was especially horrible that day, which wasn't in my favour considering I was already running late.

I finally entered my apartment, locking the door behind me. It was always spotless, I'm kind of a neat freak. Okay, maybe a very big neat freak.

When you first walked in there was a living room to the left, and a kitchen to the right with a counter around it. Nestled in the corner next to a window, was a small dining table. In the living room there were tall bookshelves lining the wall, with all the books sorted alphabetically. Off to the right of the living room, was my bedroom, and I had a neat desk in the corner for working. If you went through a door on the other side of the room you would enter my bathroom. All in all my apartment was pretty small, but it had everything I needed and I loved it.

I walked over to my wardrobe, and after a few minutes of contemplating what to wear i decided on a pair of black leggings, a long grey shirt that went down to mid thigh, and some converses. As a last thought I threw my hair into a ponytail.

Ready to go I grabbed my bag and headed out of my apartment. I quickly got into my car to drive over to the restaurant that me and Thalia were meeting at. It was a new place that had just opened called "Lacie's Grill".

Apparently it served the best Korean barbecue (or so I had heard), so I was more than happy to try it out.

By then I was starving so my mouth was watering when I parked in the parking lot of the joint. I could already smell the delicious food, and I took note that Thalia's car was already in the lot.

I walked confidently up to the front desk, telling them that I had reservations. The lady nodded and pointed to where I was sitting.

As soon as Thalia saw me her eyes lit up, and she stood up to squash me in a bear hug.

"Annie!" she squealed happily

"Calm down Thals, I saw you two weeks ago," I laughed happy to see my best friend again, "Don't you remember?"

"But two weeks is such a long time" she whined with her face in a dramatic pout.

We laughed together and sat down at the table.

To anyone else we would've seemed crazy, laughing our heads off over nothing. For Thalia and I it was normal.

"So how have you been? Why the heck did you end our conversation like that?" I exclaimed.

"Well… I met a guy-" Thalia started, a blush creeping across her face.

"Really? Wow Thals that awesome!" I accidentally shouted.

"What's his name? Is he cute? This still doesn't explain the call! What's he like?" I started firing questions at her.

She started laughing, and unluckily a waitress came up before she could say anything else on the matter.

I ordered iced tea, and Korean ribs. Thalia decided on coke and a noodle dish. It had a side of kimbap.

(A.N kimbap is like sushi, except no seafood and Korean)

Finally the waitress left to retrieve our drinks and i was able to corner Thalia about this guy she had met.

"So. The answers to my questions?" I pressed. "Ugh fine. His name is Nico, in my opinion he's GORGEOUS, he's in the middle of moving so a chance to talk with him is rare, and he is endearingly shy." She rushed out. "But we're only friends!" She stated, with some sad finality.

I wiggled my eyebrows at her. "So you like him." I said. "Yes! Now stop embarrassing me!" Thalia whisper-yelled.

We burst out laughing, and continued on with the evening. The dinner was amazing, and i stole almost all of Thalia's kimbap. (What? It was so good) Eventually though, we had to call it quits, and I headed back to my apartment.

I showered and changed into a loose tee with some shorts. Before going to bed, I did a quick run through of my emails, most of them filled with gossip. It was disgusting, and I wanted to stop, yet at the same time I couldn't get enough.

Finally I was done, and closing my laptop, I crawled into bed. The last thing I remember before falling asleep, was a thought that ran through my head.

 _What if you never got in so deep?_

 **I know, short to begin with :( I promise the chapters will get longer, but for now this one in short :)**

 **Please let me know how you are liking the story so far! Please read, review, and follow the story to know when another chapter comes out lol**


	2. Chapter 2 - That Special Someone

**Hey guys! Back at it with another chapter :) do you have any tips on using fanfiction? I'm very new to this, and it took me like 30 minutes to upload the first chapter XD**

 **DISCLAIMER: I obviously am not Rick Riordan, so why bother?**

 _Ring ring ring…_

I groggily sat up in my bed. _What's going on?_

I realized my phone was ringing, so I picked it up off of my bedside table.

The first thing I heard whe I answered the phone was someone yelling at me from the other end. "ANNABETH!" _That's Thalia_.

"What the hell Thalia, I was sleeping." I whined, and even though she couldn't see my face, I was pouting.

She laughed. "Come on sleepy head I want you to come over at 11. Nico's coming! He said he needed a break from moving, so we're gonna hangout! You need to come, it's out of question."

I gasped and told her I would be there, then saying quick goodbyes, we hung up. Once eating a breakfast of toast, I turned to my wardrobe.

While I was deciding what to wear, I found an old shirt I got from working at a camp about 8 years ago. It was supposed to be called Camp Half-Bridge, but while I was working there a kid accidentally threw a rock at my nose. (Long story) Now blood stains covered the word "Bridge" so me and Thalia always joke that it's Camp Half-Blood. I almost wore it, but I decided it wasn't the best first impression.

Instead I wore an army green off the shoulder shirt; with spaghetti straps keeping it up, and jean shorts. I braided my hair, laced up my converses, and walked out the door.

After about 15 minutes of driving, I made it to Thalia's house. She was an aeronautical engineer, so her house wasn't exactly small. Two floors, Three bedrooms, and 1,500 square feet of property, Thalia was living the good life.

I parked in her driveway, and walked up to the front door. The path was lined with a few stray flower pots that carried a variety of flowers, and there was a small tree in the far corner of her yard.

As soon as I knocked, Thalia opened the door wearing a black tank, jean shorts, and her short black hair was curled.

"Annie! Come in!" She said, then lowering her voice, "Nico is already here." Her electric blue eyes were filled with excitement.

Leading me through the house, we entered the living room. In the center of the room, there was a standard wooden coffee table with a glass of water on it. Behind it was a leather couch that would fit maybe four people, and in front of it there was a large TV. To the right of the coffee table was one of those single person couches, where a guy was sitting. He was slim, pale, and had black hair like Thalia. His eyes were chocolate brown, and he sported black skinny jeans, and an ACDC shirt.

As soon as he saw me, he stood up and shook my hand.

"I'm going to assume you're Annabeth? I'm Nico, but you've probably heard of me already." He said matter of factly.

I gave him a face that said _what are you talking about?_ He wiggled his eyebrows at me. I cracked up.

"You chose well Thalia, I like this one." I said, and it was meant to be a joke, but Nico blushed immediately, and I knew that he liked Thalia. As more than a friend

While we were playing Sequence (a board game) I decided to strike up a conversation, to try and get to know Nico a little more.

"So, Nico, tell me a little bit about yourself." I said, watching him for a response.

"Well um… I'm Nico Di Angelo, I like board games and watching movies, and I don't really know what else to say" he said awkwardly. We all laughed.

"Any siblings?" I prodded.

A pain filled his eyes, and I almost felt bad for asking.

"I had one, Bianca. But… her and my mom died when I was eleven. an Earthquake happened while I was at a friends… and well the house collapsed…" his voice broke, and I knew not to ask anything else.

We finished the game in silence, and to break the awkwardness Thalia stood up.

"Well I'll uh.. go get lunch started." she spoke uneasily

"I'll help!" Nico said immediately.

The both walked towards the kitchen, and not long after I heard sounds of laughter and food.

I sat and waited, listening to the fun they were having. It made me feel… a little lonely. Like the drama pushed me away from human civilization.

Eventually, Thalia and Nico came from the kitchen carrying three bowls of mac and cheese.

They were laughing about some sort of inside joke and we all started eating. Soon enough I joined in on the laughter, because they explained to me what happened.

"Oh, Thalia she- she was trying to serve the spoon- I mean the mac and cheese!" Nico burst into laughter.

"And it wasn't working, I was so confused." Thalia giggled.

"But she was holding the spoon upside down, so of course it wasn't working!" Nico laughed.

They told their funny cooking trials all through lunch, and eventually I saw that they needed to hang out alone.

I helped with dishes and had a bit of a conversation with Nico, then stood up to leave.

"Thanks Thalia for having me! And Nico, I better see you again." I said sternly, then immediately broke into a laugh to show that I was joking.

They joined in, and before I knew it, I was driving back to my apartment, leaving their laughter behind me.

The weekend flew by, and soon enough, Monday arrived.

My excitement always varied on Monday. Sometimes the weekend had been a time to forget everything and be myself for a while. Other times, I was caught up in drama and gossip, which lead me to be excited for work.

Today luckily, I was dreading work. Waking up, I straightened my hair, put on mascara, and dressed in a pencil skirt and a white blouse.

Eating a small bowl of cereal, I hurried out of my apartment.

It takes about 10 minutes to drive from my house to my office building, and during that time I thought about how nice it would be to just keep driving, and not even go to work. I had to crush my own dreams however, and pull into the parkade.

I walked briskly into my building, full of purpose. I took the elevator up to the fourth floor, where my office is located. When I passed Drew we shared our usual glare, and then I entered my office.

My office is huge. Well, for an office. The far wall is completely glass, and gives an amazing view of the city. I have a large desk that holds a computer, a journal, and hung above it is a clock. The other wall is lined with bookshelves, but sadly only old magazines filled them.

I sat down at my desk and began to work.

At 10:00 I was resenting my job. A few times I considered just dropping my pencil. At noon I was enjoying it. I decided to start typing the article. By 2:00, I was loving it.

"Is Piper Mclean the hot new actress cheating?" I said to myself, "That could be a whole article to itself!"

I started typing.

 _25 year old Piper Mclean has been seen hanging around with someone other than Jason her boyfriend of 3 years. People in the area have heard voices at her house that don't sound like her loving boyfriend. Is something going on? We'll see…_

It kept going. Eventually I checked the time, and it was 7:00. Definitely time to go home.

A few weeks went by. I saw Thalia once, but other than that I was stuck in the gossip. For three awful Monday's in a row I was excited for work. It was that cycle, that current that I got caught up in.

I was so trapped by it all, that I spent one weekend holed up in my room reading about gossip and drama. That was until Sunday night, when I realized I was out of food and needed to go grocery shopping.

While I was walking down the aisle, occasionally stopping to put something in my cart, I started thinking about my past.

I was a smart child, I skipped two grades (2 and 7) and graduated young. I thought I was independent and could live on my own immediately after school.

I figured out quickly that 16 year olds just aren't meant to be self sufficient. I needed a job desperately. With school in the way it was hard. By the time I was 18, my college funds weren't cutting it. After two more years of hard life, (Deciding if I could eat dinner that night, or take a shower once or twice a week) I found a job as an assistant at a magazine company.

After a few years, I finished university and rose in the ranks, and eventually I got to where I am now. The lead journalist for Mystical, the top magazine company in the U.S.

I planned to work until I had enough money to be an architect, but the gossip and drama changed me. It sucked me in. Suddenly I was laughing at cheating girls, trying to find dramatic couples, and thirsting for all the news.

I was afraid to admit it, but I felt like a monster. When I got away from work however, I was myself again.

I always had that one question in my head- "What if I never went in so deep?"

I probably wouldn't have this job. I would be an architect with my own company. I wouldn't have a monster inside of me, I wouldn't be stuck in a ravine, with steep walls and seemingly no way of escape. I would-

 _CRASH_

I snapped back to reality, and realized I had been wandering with my cart. _Oh no._

I had processed what I ran into.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I asked.

I had run into another person's shopping cart, and he was bending over and picking up something that seemed to have fallen.

When he looked up I caught my breath.

He was tall and muscular. Not the bodybuilder type, (he was lean) the "I look hot with no shirt on" type. He was perfectly tanned, and had black hair that looked ruffled. That wasn't what caught my attention. It was his eyes. A bright sea green, and looking into them made me feel as though I were being pulled into the ocean and wrapped in the waves.

He smiled a little, as if he found it funny I just ran into him.

"You should be asking the carts if they're okay!" He said with a laugh.

His laugh lit up the room. I couldn't help but join in, and soon without realizing, we were walking down the aisle together.

"I owe you one." I said as we stopped to get produce.

"Why? I did nothing for you." He replied with almost a skeptical look. We moved to get dairy.

"Just… take my number okay? Call me when you need a favour." I paused briefly and scrawled my number on a sticky note from my purse. Then I held it out for him.

He paused for a moment, then took the paper and stuffed it in his pocket.

I smiled one last time, then turned to leave. I was done my shopping.

"Wait! I don't even know your name!" He yelled after me.

I turned around and smiled "Annabeth." Then I left the store.

That night I had dreams about the mystery man.

I was running down a path. I sensed that I was running from something but I didn't know what.

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

Suddenly something grabbed me and pulled me back. I fell down into a long ravine.

I screamed for help but I didn't think anyone could hear me. Suddenly my ravine transformed into my life, my work. It was normal.

Then I heard a voice.

"There you are! Come on let's get you out of here!"

Looking around, I didn't see where the voice was coming from. Then slowly my life changed back into the ravine.

Above sticking their head over the edge, was him.

I never even learnt his name.

 _How could I like him when I barely know him?_

The next day, I was dreading work so much, I called in sick.

I couldn't tell anyone about this. Annabeth Chase, in love with someone she had met yesterday? Not possible.

I thought about him, and his eyes, and a stared at my phone wondering if he would ever call me.

Laying awake at night I pondered the possibility of meeting him again. I glanced at my phone and realized it wasn't too hard.

 **Percy's POV**

I was distracted during school. Then again, who wouldn't be after they ran into

a hot girl? Natural blonde princess curls, a perfect body, and her eyes. They were an amazing stormy grey, and I felt self conscious looking at them. _Wow I hope the zit on my nose isn't showing. I bet I'm stupid compared to her. Can I always look amazing like that?_

She was so nice about it, and now seeing her again was just a phone call away. I knew I couldn't, I had other things to worry about besides a girl I just met. I just couldn't stop thinking about her.

 _Stop thinking about her. That's bad._

Finally my course was over, and I drove home. At least if you can call it a home, since I live on the ninth floor of a New York apartment.

I took the stairs, since I needed a bit of a workout. I opened the door to the ninth floor, and walked to my room number 907.

I took a long shower, hoping to wash away my thoughts of Annabeth. I loved her name too, it was- _you can't think about her, let alone like her! Now stop Percy._

I got out of the shower and decided to get dinner started.

I stepped out of my room and looked around my apartment. It was a mess.

I needed to reorganize all my movies and books, (even if I don't read) almost all of my appliances needed scrubbing, and I'm sure if you were creative, you could find heaps of garbage hidden around. It was like looking at the inside of a livable dump truck.

Only problem was, I needed help. There was no way I could do all that on my own.

I would get distracted, or give up. I was going to need a helping hand if I wanted the job done.

 _Maybe this weekend… I could call her…_

 _ **Annabeth's POV**_

I waited three weeks. Nothing from that phone. At least nothing from him.

I kept my feelings hidden. No one knew, and I wanted to keep it that way. My

only distraction was that I still felt guilty about my "dirty little secret" with Drew.

It was Tuesday. I sat at my desk. My finger kept tapping the keys, but I was making no progress. My article was due tomorrow, but my heart wasn't into it anymore.

Finally I couldn't stand it. I deleted a nasty part about Piper, then stood from my desk, taking an item out of the drawer.

I walked over to Drew's desk, trying to make it seem like I was there for work. In a way I was.

As I walked into the room, I was thankful for the semi-sound proof walls.

"What are you doing here?" Drew asked with disdain.

"Business. Look, this article isn't working for me, and I don't want to finish it. You do it and hand it in with your credit. If they ask why my name isn't under it, convince them it was yours in the first place." Drew had a way with words, so I was sure she could convince them.

"Why would I do that?" Drew asked, unsure.

"Because, you'll become more famous, get more credit, maybe even a promotion? Besides I don't think you could turn down this." I said persuasively.

Her eyes widened as I slammed a wad of cash on her desk. If there's one thing Drew can't turn down, it's money. I bet she blows every pay check at the mall, buying new clothes with her clique. (Yes, she's 27 and has a clique. Not people you want to meet.)

"Alright. Fine." she snapped, and snatched the money off the desk before I could change my mind.

"But you can't tell anyone about this, alright?" I said.

Then as soon as I got the answer yes, I turned on my heels and strutted out of the office.

I suppose I should've mentioned this before, but Drew is my part time secretary. She also does more than that, so she got an office right across from mine. Good for her work, but close enough to fulfill my needs.

Now three weeks later, I still felt guilty about the exchange. The only thing I was glad about was the gossip had a harder time getting to me than usual.

It was Thursday night, and I had nothing to do, so I decided to order pizza and watch a movie.

I did this sometimes so I didn't get lost in my thoughts, and I got to pretend I didn't have problems for a while.

Waiting for the pizza was awful. I tried to keep my thoughts away, but even that was a chore. Luckily, I was saved by my ringing phone.

I rushed over to it, but it was an unknown number. My heart rate increasing, I answered it.

"Hello?" I asked nervously.

"Hi, Annabeth? It's Percy."

 **Haha, so evil aren't I?**

 **Sorry if it feels a bit rushed, I'm working on it. (Along with many other writing related things)**

 **I'm thinking of making Percy become a marine biologist, but what do you think?**

 **So to clear up a few things, I obviously modified Nico's age so Thalia isn't (technically) 6 years older. Annabeth is 26 (along with Nico, Thalia, and Percy), and the story will mostly take place from her point of view.**

 **The whole Percy's POV thing will be rare I just added it in because I felt like it was right, and I couldn't do it for long because… well you'll see.**

 **And Annabeth has been working on quite a few different articles throughout the book, because I haven't got to the parts where there's enough going on to do an "everyday" kinda thing.**

 **Read and Review and things like that! XD Have a great day!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Encounter

**Hey guys! Thanks for the support, keep it up :) I'm quite proud of this chapter so enjoy!**

* * *

 _Percy… that was his name wasn't it?_

My heart was beating fast as I voiced my only question.

"Who's Percy?"

I felt a little dumb asking it, but I couldn't jump to the conclusion that he was the "grocery store guy".

He laughed. "You never did learn my name did you…" he paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm Percy Jackson. You ran into me at the grocery store a few weeks ago… well I'm calling for that favour!" He chuckled as if he were embarrassed.

My heart stopped beating. I couldn't decide weather to jump up and down, or throw up. I couldn't speak, my voice seemed to be stolen by how unreal the moment was.

"Hello?" Percy's unsure voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I spoke.

"Sorry, uh, sure! What's the favour?" I stammered, mentally beating myself up for sounding so uneducated.

"Well, um my apartment really needs to get cleaned, but I would never be able to do it myself… would you like to come help?" He asked.

"Ok! What time, when, and where?" I said easily, not giving it a second thought.

Percy laughed, and I felt like we were going to have a good time.

"How about two on Saturday? I can text you my address later."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Okay… uh bye I guess, see you soon." He said awkwardly.

"Goodbye." I said with a weird finality. I couldn't shake the feeling that a chance to hangout wouldn't be a common occurrence. If only I knew how close to the truth I was.

Friday at work was a nightmare.

The second I sat down at my desk, Drew came in to tell me Clarissa (my boss) wanted to see me.

Clarissa is the kind of person who is so sweet it's fake. She is super nice, but you know the second you turn your back she'll be gossiping about you non-stop.

I wound through the maze of cubicles, passing office doors until I reached Clarissa's office. I knocked and a sweet sugary voice spoke, "Come in!"

I braced myself and entered the room.

The first thing I noticed. It was cold. Clarissa always had the AC running, so when I entered her office I felt like I was stepping into a room sized fridge. She had succulents and ferns every where, as if she was trying to create an artsy, trendy, and "perfect" jungle. There was a window on the far wall, and Clarissa's desk sat in front of it, facing me as if the all work she did involved meetings. In the left corner of her desk sat a neat stack of papers regarding the company, and recent magazines. Many trinkets littered the desk; who knows what they were for. Clarissa had a laptop in the middle of her desk that she had closed when I entered.

"Hello sugar pumpkin. Come have a seat." She gestured to a padded chair right in front of the desk.

I bristled with annoyance. _Sugar pumpkin?_ As soon as I sat down she spoke again.

"Honey, you know I love your work, but something's up. You don't seem to be putting in that full effort." Clarissa frowned, and before she could continue, I cut her off.

"Please give me a chance. You've been giving me boring articles to write, and I haven't felt much motivation to pour effort into it. I've tried my best." I shrugged and leaned back into the chair, trying to make it seem like I just wanted a challenge.

In my head, I knew the real reason I was lacking in effort. My motivation to write about gossip had wavered. The drama wasn't pulling me in like it used to.

Clarissa raised her eyebrows, and in a quick moment of thought, she delivered her proposal.

"Very well, I'll give you a new article, to be finished by next Monday." She smirked. "Let's see if this is enough of a challenge." She opened her computer and typed for a minute or two, then closed it again.

"Your assignment should be waiting in your inbox." Clarisse said politely.

"You are dismissed."

With that I left her office, dread filling me at the prospect of an extremely hardcore assignment.

Once I got back to my office, I opened my inbox to see my new assignment.

I gasped a little as I read it. The title I was supposed to write the article under was "Moving On". My jaw dropped as I read the description for the article.

I was supposed to write about heartbreak and how to move on. Along with celebrities who used people, then dumped them after.

I general it was a nasty article. One in which, I did not want to write.

Ignoring the voice in my head screaming to not write the article, I opened a new document.

For the next few hours, I tried to make progress on it. I had no luck.

I would type a sentence, then delete it. The process was repeated till I gave up and moved on.

I had little experience about heartbreak. I knew about moving on in the area of hardship, but in love? Not a clue.

That meant my article was awful. A trainee could've written it better than I did!

Finally at five, I gave up.

My head was hurting from the difficulty of putting effort into something you didn't want to do. I collected my things, and left the building.

As soon as I got home I collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted. Physically and emotionally.

I made myself a salad for dinner and changed into sweatpants and a tank top. I collapsed back onto my bed, and stared at this ceiling contemplating life.

It sounds cheesy, I know, but I just kept thinking. About drama, my past, how much I was dreading work on Monday, and every other topic you can imagine.

I fell asleep like that, with unconscious tears spilling down my cheeks.

The sun shining into my room, and I awoke to a soft ping from my phone.

I clumsily reached towards it, grabbing it and pulling it into me like a fish on a line. I turned it on, and saw that Percy had texted me, giving me his address.

I smiled as I remembered I would be hanging out with him today. Then I looked at the clock and yelped.

It was twelve. How late did I go to bed? I wondered as I rushed to get ready.

After a shower, breakfast, and a civil war with my attire, I stepped out of my apartment, ready to face the day.

My curls were untamable that morning, so I gave up and threw my hair in a messy bun. I then put on a loose white tee and tucked the front into some medium-rise jean shorts. I threw on a gray pair of converse, and grabbed my sunglasses as an afterthought.

I was trying to look cute but casual.

By the time I made it to my car it was 1:30. Worried about being late, I punched his address into my GPS and sped down the road. About fifteen minutes later I pulled into the lot of an apartment complex.

My eyes searched the entrance until they found Percy waiting nervously by the door.

Climbing out of my car, he saw me and waved.

Smiling, I walked over to him.

"Hey." I smiled.

"Hey, come on let's bring you up to the apartment." He said and turned around.

I followed him as he walked inside and entered the elevator.

The lobby was average. It was a little more run down than the apartment I lived in, and the paint on the walls were starting to peel.

Once the doors dinged, he led me down the hall and abruptly stopped in front of a room.

Fishing a key out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and brought me inside.

"Here it is! The dump truck I call home!" He said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

I peered around at the place and my inner neat freak went nuts.

Shelves disorganized, every appliance held a blanket of grime, and even from the entryway, I could nitpick garbage peeking out from under couches, behind blinds, stuffed in empty vases, and I could tell there was probably more.

Some of the couches in the living room were unaligned as if someone had accidentally kicked them out of the way. The windows were smudged with hand prints, and the floor needed a good vacuum. There was even a layer of dust over a few things.

The room in general looked like the flip version of my apartment.

Ridiculously dirty, instead of spotless. Kitchen to the left, and living room to the right, with a door that led to his room. (I'm assuming) The only difference was, the bathroom was right behind the living room.

I sighed. "Let's get to work."

We started with the garbage. Percy held a huge garbage bag as I sniffed out garbage like a hellhound. Soon the bag was full and we needed to get another one.

We moved on to dusting. I found two dusting wands and we started dusting anything and everything.

We made small talk while we worked, and got to know each other a bit better.

I found out Percy is 26 years old (like me!) and he is currently in school. He wants to become a marine biologist.

We were dusting and talking for so long, I didn't realize how close I was to being done. There was just one more counter to wipe down and then we would be free of dust.

I started prowling towards it when Percy jumped to get there first.

"Oh no you don't." I growled, and I sprinted after him and pounced, knocking him to the ground.

We rolled around in fits of laughter. Strangling each other to stop our opponent from getting to the last vase.

I pushed him back scrambling to make it to the counter. I was on the cusp of victory, until Percy tackled me.

He pinned me to the ground.

He was right over top of me looking at me in the eyes. I thought were going to lie there forever, but I spoke too soon.

Percy tickled me. I started squirming and giggling, trying to get away from his tickling hands.

"Stop it!" I squealed, sounding like a little girl.

"Never! I will only stop once you surrender!" He declared with a playful smirk.

A plan formulated in my mind.

"Fine." I huffed.

"Hah see? I knew I could knock some sense…" Percy's sentence died when I jumped up and sprinted towards the counter wiping it clean of dust.

"Hah. I won." I said, with a victorious smile plastered across my face.

His face was hilarious. A mix of dumbfounded shock, and disbelief.

I started to break down with laughter.

"Y-you should see your face!" I giggled.

Those giggles became snorts, then chuckles, then full out laughter.

Percy looked confused for a moment, then started to laugh with me.

Then all of a sudden he stopped and stared at me.

"Percy? What's wrong?" I asked nervously.

"We need a break!" He declared. "I say we go get ice cream!"

I giggled.

"Sure, lead the way dear sir." I said formally, but still unable to wipe the smile off my face.

Percy snatched his keys of a coat hook and brought me down to the parkade.

We climbed into his car (it was a blue prius) and shot down the road.

Percy made a left, then kept going down the street. About a minutes later he pulled into a small parking lot.

There was an ice cream parlor in front of us labeled "Ma Gasket's Ice Cream".

"Ma Gasket?" I laughed.

"What? They serve amazing rocky road!" Percy protested.

I rolled my eyes with a smile "Okay buddy, let's go get ice cream."

There were maybe one or two people there already, so Percy and I didn't have to wait in line.

"What's your special today Karen?" Percy asked the lady at the till.

I assumed her name was Karen. "We got some seaweed gelato, wanna try some with your regular?" She asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "Percy how often do you come for ice cream?" I asked

"Um… two or three times a week?"

"You're insane." I said incredulously.

"You bet I am." He winked then turned back to Karen.

"Sure, I'll take a to-go cup with my regular." Percy smiled. "This is my friend Annabeth, she'll have…"

"One scoop cookies and cream, one scoop mint chocolate chip, on a waffle cone." I piped up.

Karen smiled and got to work scooping our orders. In no time we were both holding ice cream cones; Percy also carried his sample cup.

"Thanks Karen!" Percy called as we left the store.

Percy drove us to a park where we walked around and ate our ice cream.

"So Percy, any siblings?" I asked, trying to make small talk.

"Nope, I'm an only child."

"Lucky!"

Percy laughed.

"What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Two annoying step brothers." I grumbled.

Percy was a bit quieter after he heard the word "step". I guess he felt bad.

If only he knew.

We continued making small talk, and Percy finished his ice cream.

"Oooh! Let's try the seaweed ice cream!" He said, with a goofy grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Alrighty let's sit down."

I found an unoccupied bench, and we sat down to prepare for the sample.

Percy opened the lid, pulled two plastic spoons out of his pocket, and took a huge bite of the ice cream.

"Fis ish delifcious!" He said with his mouth full of ice cream.

I made a face.

"You like this?" I asked scooping some into my mouth, then immediately spitting it out.

"It's disgusting!" I cried.

"Not to me!" Percy sang.

"Well your brain must be made of seaweed!" I shot back with a grin.

"Are you calling me a seaweed brain?" He asked, mocking offense.

"Yes. I am! Seaweed Brain." I smirked.

"Well… well. Your such a… a…. I don't know…" Percy said, defeated.

"You'll come up with something one day!" I sang skipping back towards the car.

"Now come on we need to keep cleaning!"

Percy groaned, but followed nonetheless.

We made great progress. We vacuumed, scrubbed, and organized for a few hours. It made the apartment look much cleaner.

Soon all we had left was the bathroom.

"Thank you so much for helping me clean." Percy said.

"As a reward I'll cook you dinner!" He said proudly. "How does quesadillas sound?"

"Fantastic! Thank you!" I said.

How he guessed quesadillas are one of my favourite foods, I'll never know.

I walked over to his counter and plopped myself down into a chair, while Percy got to work.

He diced onions and peppers, prepared corn and beans, and put chicken on his stove top to grill.

Once the chicken was finished he pulled it off with prongs, and diced it as well. He then grated some cheese and pulled some tortillas from the fridge.

"Mademoiselle come prepare your quesadilla." He said with a silly french accent.

I giggled "Oui, Monsieur."

I put every topping on my tortilla, then loaded it with cheese.

Percy folded it over, then set it with his tortilla on the stove top to grill.

"Your deenar shall be ready in a few moments." He said, turning around to retrieve two plates.

After about 3 minutes, he pulled them off the stove, and set them on the cutting board. He cut them into triangles and deposited them on the respective plate.

In a few moments, there was a steaming plate of quesadillas in front of me.

I carefully picked one up and took a bite.

"Holy crap Percy! These are amazing!" I yelled.

He burst out laughing.

"I do consider myself quite the cook." He said.

I wolfed down the rest of the food from the gods, and stared at Percy.

"What?" He asked.

"Come on, we have to go finish the bathroom!"

Percy groaned. "I'm tired of cleaning."

"Well too bad. We're almost done anyways."

I was victorious as we wandered back towards the bathroom.

This was the worst by far. After about a half an hour of scrubbing the bath shower (the bathtubs with shower heads attached) we were able to deal with the garbage, organizing his toiletries, and cleaning everything else in the room.

I was just touching up the sink (we were going to be done after that) when there was a knock at the door.

Then I heard the door open.

"Percy?" Someone called.

Percy froze and his face clouded.

"Where are you?" The person called again. Definitely female.

"In the bathroom." He called weakly.

The door opened and there she was.

She was a little shorter than me, with bright red hair. I could tell that it was usually a mass of curls, but it was straight and dead looking at the moment. Definitely straightened. She had forest green eyes, and pale skin that was dotted with freckles.

The girl had so much makeup on, it looked like she got a pie to the face. Heavy eyeliner and mascara, highlight, contour, and foundation. Her cheeks were so red from blush that the only thing more red, was her hair and her dark stained lips. She wore a nude dress that showed a little too much skin and black heels.

As soon as she saw me she screeched.

"Who is this?" She spat.

"Rachel I swear we're only friends. She came to help me clean the apartment." Percy sighed.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Me? You're asking who _I_ am? Why I'm Rachel Dare, Percy's _girlfriend_." She gave me a winning smile.

"Oh…" I squeaked.

My fight had died. Of course he wasn't single. Why would Percy with all his looks not have girls trailing behind him?

"Percy I'll go now, so things don't get complicated with your girlfriend. Have a good night, thanks for everything." I choked out, and hurried out of the bathroom.

"Annabeth! Wait!" Percy called after me.

I could barely hear him over my pounding heart, and the blood rushing through my ears.

I ran out of the apartment.

It wasn't until I got home and slammed the door that the sobs came.

They were choked, and came in gulps, as if I wasn't able to get enough air.

I slid to the floor, my sobs heard through the night. Slicing through the air like bullets.

* * *

 **Wow! Its been a little over a week and I'm updating again? I'm so proud!**

 **Urgh the cleaning bits weren't cery exciting. I'm sorry it's hard to write :(**

 **Please Review or whatever else you want to do to support me! It means a lot, so thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4 - Attempting a Life Without

**Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to upload, I had writers flow (my name for the opposite of writers block) it's really hard to write when you have random ideas sprouting. But now im back!**

* * *

I awoke on the ground. My hair was in a mess of curls, my cheeks felt tight with tear stains, and I was wearing my clothes from yesterday.

My heart felt like it was throbbing.

 _Thank God it's Sunday._

I needed one recovery day before I even thought about working.

It was then I realized there was a soft knocking at my door.

I got up and opened it.

"Annabeth honey, I heard you crying last night. I decided to give you some space, but now you need some love."

Sally Jackson. The life saver.

Sally has been my neighbour since the day I moved in. I didn't meet her until I was twenty, but she became a mother figure in my life.

You see, when I was two, my mother got up and left. No word, no goodbye, just one day we woke up, and she was gone.

My father was devastated. He was a single parent for about three years, and during that time I learned to be independent. Most days my dad would forget to cook meals, and I would have to do it myself. It took my innocence away.

Then my father met her. Helen. My father was so depressed that he fell head over heels for her. Unfortunately they got married.

Helen hated me. Not too long after the marriage the twins came along. Helen would let Matthew and Bobby sit around all day, and force me to do the cleaning. She spoilt them, and ignored me. If I didn't do something she asked, I would get beaten.

For a long time I went to school trying to hide bruises, and luckily she never hit me too hard for it to be overly noticeable.

That's why as soon as I graduated, I left. I didn't want to be stuck in the household forever.

I soon learned what a mistake it was, to move out so young.

I had to walk or bike everywhere. My father was oblivious to the fact that Helen abused me so he often invited me over.

I hadn't had a mother in so long that when I met Sally, she was like a gift from the heavens. Someone I could almost call "mom".

She was a little bit shorter than me; about 5'6, and was thin, but healthy. She had long brown hair that was just starting to grey. It was pulled up into a bun. She had soft blue eyes that twinkled when she laughed, and they were slightly wrinkled around the edges.

Sally stood there with a plate of blue cookies, and she still had her apron on. That meant the cookies were freshly baked.

"Come have breakfast at my place" she offered giving a warm smile.

"Thank you so much Sally."

"Any time, now come on over!"

She hugged me tight with one hand, the other still holding the platter of cookies.

Then we went back to her apartment, where I sullenly shoved cookie after cookie in my mouth, and Sally went to work on an amazing breakfast, offering kind and comforting words occasionally.

Soon enough, I had a plate filled with eggs, bacon, and french toast laid in front of me. Sally sat beside me and gently laid her hand on my shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Her question was gentle; she only wanted to comfort me, she wasn't prying at all.

I dumped a large portion of syrup on my french toast, glad that Sally had thought to put it out.

After taking a few bites, I took a deep breath and without looking at her, I told her everything.

How I had met a guy and really liked him, then hung out with him and thought we could be friends, before realizing the cruel fact that he had a jealous girlfriend, and so not only could I not think of him intimately, but I couldn't even be friends with him.

"Sally I don't even know why I love him so much! I just ran into him, and when I left the grocery I seemed to leave my heart behind!" I cried, looking up from my plate and proceeding to shove more food in my mouth.

Sally was quiet for a moment.

"Just because he has a girlfriend doesn't mean you can't be friends. Keep in touch. You may get an opportunity one day." She smiled.

The next day I tore through my work.

In the morning I got ready with a purpose. Once I got to my office I opened my document and got writing.

I ended up deleting all my previous work, and by 3:00 I had an article. I then started researching all the celebrities so I could work them into my article.

We all have a heart, and sometimes it gets unwillingly given to somebody else. Once they realize they're carrying it for you, there is always the possibility that they could tear it into shreds, and hand it back to you.

I think everybody at some point has been rejected. There isn't anything you can do to stop yourself from feeling the wounds they punctured into your skin. Tears are spilled and get littered across your floor as you drag yourself to your bed, to cry until you can't any more.

Once you've been rejected you must realize, they aren't anything to you anymore. Moving on is that dreaded topic to those who are afraid to let go. Love is like holding onto a balloon, and keeping it grounded. But once the balloon starts floating away from you, it will carry you away unless you let go. The longer you hold on, the more it will hurt to let go.

What if they were using you? You shouldn't try to hold on with hope, because if they used you they don't care. Jeffrey Lorang had a girlfriend for three years, but in reality he was just using her to get pleasure. He was cheating on her with Grace Kearney and after he dumped his former girlfriend, he proposed to Grace. Jeffrey and Grace are now filing a divorce.

This isn't any better than Amelia Delaski, who only dated Kyle Reger for his money and gifts.

Love is beautiful and dangerous. Once you're heart is given away, try to steal it back. Let them take your heart, don't let yourself give it away. Because once your heart is torn, a protective layer will be created. And while you heal there's nothing left for you to do but move on.

I sat back from my work, pleased. It was really hard to find good gossip about the topic, so it ended up being okay.

I submitted it to the editors.

Smiling to myself, I checked the clock, which read "7:34".

I then gathered my things, preparing to head home for the night.

As I left, I moved differently. No one would have noticed unless they watched closely. I moved with a different purpose.

It's because I had decided right then that no one ever be able to control me. I am my own person. They can't touch me.

 **Percy's POV**

"Annabeth! Wait!" I called hoping she would turn around and smile, ready to face Rachel with me.

But she didn't and I heard the door close.

Rachel turned to me.

"Percy what was that?" She snarled.

"Rachel she's just my friend! She was helping me clean if you haven't noticed! How is that romantic in any way?"

"Oh yah, I shouldn't be worried when my boyfriend is in a small room with another girl!"

I sighed.

Rachel wasn't always like this. When I first met her she was amazing. Naturally beautiful, a great sense of humor, with not a care in the world. I fell for her, and we got together. But after a few months subtle changes began to happen, until now two years later, I dreaded her coming around.

She was okay when we were alone, but around anyone but my "hot" guy friends, she was nasty.

"Okay fine. If you're going to be like that. I'll have to pass on tonight Rachel. I'm going to go to the boys."

She gasped "HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON ME!"

"Rachel if I were cheating on you do you think you would have found me scrubbing a bathtub while Annabeth scrubbed a sink? I'm going to the boys. I'll even facetime you when I get there if that pleases you."

Then I grabbed my keys and phone, and left Rachel in the apartment amazed that I left her.

Once I got to the car, I took out my phone, and texted "The BOIS", a group chat all my friends made in grade eight.

 _Percy- Boys Night?_

 _Jason- Rachel again?_

 _Percy- Yup._

 _Leo- Dude u need 2 dump her!_

 _Percy- JUST CAN WE DO A BOYS NIGHT._

 _Jason- I'm free._

 _Leo- Lets do it jases house_

 _Frank- I'm in. Bringing the beer ;)_

 _Leo- Ur the best man_

 _Nico- Sorry guys I gotta date._

 _Jason- Ooh, who's the girl?_

 _Nico- My sister -_-_

 _Leo- Naw your probably introducing Thalia to your sister._

 _Percy- Who's this Thalia you speak of?_

 _Frank- His new girlfriend._

 _Percy- YOU DID NOT TELL ME THIS._

 _Nico- Doesn't matter i gtg now. Can't make it._

 _Leo- whimp. So evry1 els can make it?_

 _Jason- Yes, and Leo could you try to type real words?_

 _Leo- Shut up._

 _Jason- Thank you_

 _Percy- See you guys in 15_

 _Frank- K bye_

 _Leo- See ya_

I felt really grateful for my friends at that moment.

Jason's house was 15 minutes away from my apartment, but I stopped anyways to get a bucket of ice cream.

A few minutes later I pulled into Jason's driveway.

Jason lived in the same house as his girlfriend Piper, who was a famous actress. That meant he had a nice house.

White, sleek, and modern would describe it. Four bedrooms, a huge kitchen and living room, and three floors. They also had a huge pool, hot tub, and Jason got a man cave in exchange with Piper getting most of the closet.

Stepping into it made me feel like I was homeless. I mean, I thought my apartment was pretty nice, but nothing compared to Jason's house.

I walked through their yard, which was lush with flowers, trees, and bushes in perfect asymmetry.

I knocked on their door, and after hearing a "Come in!" yelled from somewhere in the house, I opened it.

I stepped into the threshold. It was a grand open area, with a complex chandelier hanging above. A wide hallway continued into the house, while to the left there was a doorway leading to their laundry room; it was connected to the garage, and to the right was a large staircase.

It was spiraling, and made of dark wood. If you looked up you could see the staircase lead up to the upper floor, that contained bedrooms and a few bathrooms attached.

The large balcony looked out over the entrance.

I called out "Hello? Where are you guys?"

"In the man cave!" Came the reply.

So I went downstairs.

I came to the landing. In front of me was a huge flatscreen T.V. And a large couch. Off to the right was a bathroom and an extra guest room. To the left was the man cave.

A large room with thick carpets, a T.V. with at least three consoles below it, and bookshelves that touched the ceiling. These were filled with games, movies, and books. Jason was a reader.

Behind all that was a bar. It was technically a counter with drink making devices and alcohol behind it.

I walked into the mancave.

"Hey! I brought ice cream!" I yelled.

"Yes!" Screamed Leo, jumping forward and stealing the bucket from me.

I rolled my eyes.

Leo was short, maybe 5'9 and had had dark curly hair and elfish features. The latino, Jason, and Piper had been best friends since grade six and they still were good friends today. Somehow Leo managed a seriously pretty girlfriend named Calypso, and they had been dating for 8 months.

Leo was the definition of crazy. He got really excited over random things, and was always fiddling with something. The guy was a mechanic for his own company and he was fantastic at it. He could build almost anything, or fix it, earning him the name "Repair Boy".

Leo ran to the bar and rummaged through the drawers, eventually pulling out a spoon.

He popped open the tub of ice cream, and dug in.

With his mouth full of rocky road he said "Mmmmm… Fis is sho good"

"Leo save some for the rest of us!" exclaimed Frank.

Frank was 6'3. He was built like a sumo wrestler, with dark skin and shaved brown hair. The first time I saw him I almost pooped my pants, but I soon found out he was like a big baby. Frank was chinese-american, but he insisted it was chinese-canadian because he was from canada. He moved here for university. He was single, but he had a thing with another friend of ours, Hazel.

Frank jumped up and raced to the bar to join Leo in ice cream tasting.

I instead went and sat on the couch next to Jason.

He was the same height as me, at 6'1 and had blond hair and sky blue eyes. He was muscular, and had this refined look to him at all times. He had been dating Piper for four years.

He was probably the most mature person in our group, but most of the time he was one of us.

"Hey man how's it going?" I asked.

"Good. Piper's apparently "cheating" on me with Leo, and the paparazzi somehow haven't figured out that I've been living with Piper for the past year and a half" he chuckled.

"She still keeping up with the disguise?"

"Oh yah, she's going to quit acting once she gets her business degree."

Piper liked acting, but not the fame side of it. So she crafted a disguise to wear, so if she felt like it, she could drop acting and disappear forever. By disappear, she meant start a business.

"Good for her."

Suddenly Frank exclaimed "Leo!" And I turned around to see Leo trying to shove the entire tub of ice cream in his mouth.

I burst out laughing and started to chase Leo around, trying to save the ice cream.

Eventually I tackled him and grabbed the tub.

"Victory!" I yelled with a huge grin.

After the fooling around had died down, and we were binge watching movies, I thought "I have to learn to live. Without Annabeth."

For some reason, that thought hurt more than anything.

* * *

 **So now we're learning a but more about Annabeths past, and Percy's life. Excited for the next chalter? All I'll say about it is they will be invited to a dinner ;)**

 **P.S. Because of my writers flow i now have like 30 fanfic ideas oops XD**


	5. Chapter 5 - Coincidence

**Hey guys! I would like to thank the guest who reviewed my story, and really pushed me to continue this story. After a long wait here I am!**

 **Just wanted to clear up a few things first though. It was mentioned that Jason is taller than Percy, and I was aware, I just wanted to get rid of their 'fight for dominance' in this story, so I evened it out :)**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since the whole incident with Percy. I didn't do much aside from work.

Even after I made that huge promise to myself, I was still depressed about it.

Now I was more annoyed over the fact that I didn't stand up to Rachel. I made myself look like an idiot over some "love" for a guy I just met. And though the wound still hurt, the disappointment in myself fueled me to run from it.

As I sat at my desk mindlessly sketching a building design, a soft _ping_ emanated from my phone. I scooped some ice cream into my mouth and leaned over, running my eyes over the notification.

 _Thalia: Annabeth Chase! I haven't seen you in three freaking months. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN. I'm driving to your apartment NOW._

I chuckled to myself and didn't bother replying.

But soon enough there was loud banging on my door, so I got up and opened it.

"ANNABETH WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? I'M KIND OF PISSED BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T EVEN MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CALL ME-" Thalia's words died in her throat as she saw me.

I was wearing sweatpants and a scraggly tank top, my hair was pulled into a messy bun, and I was holding an ice cream tub to my hip.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her voice

I blinked once, then twice, then started to break down.

Thalia just engulfed me in a hug as I explained everything.

"I was so stupid Thalia! I reacted like that when I had just met him, and I even let this girl push me around." the words rushed out as I tried to hold back unnecessary tears.

 _Why so emotional lately Annabeth? Pull yourself together!_

"You had me worried that it was going to be another Luke incident." Thalia chuckled.

I drew in a sharp breath. We had wordlessly promised never to speak of those events. Even the thought of them was terrifying.

Thalia must of noticed my sudden change, because she pulled away from the hug.

"You know what? We have a ton of catching up to do. How about I make you lunch, we find out the rest of the things that have happened during these few months, then go hang out with a few new friends I made! Sound good? Alrighty let's get started."

I giggled. Thalia always had a way of cheering me up, and she also often took her own initiative. The thoughts of Luke melted away and I sat down in the kitchen, waiting for lunch to be served.

We sat at my measly dining table. Thalia had prepared some grilled cheese, with extra cheese.

As we were munching away i summed up the past few months.

"Work. That guy. That's about it."

Thalia laughed. Gods, I missed her.

"Well, my life seems to have been more interesting. Nico and i got together!"

"Oh my goodness Thalia that's awesome!"

"Anyways he has a large friend group, and so I've made some friends. Piper, Hazel, and then Reyna and Calypso sometimes join us."

"We're going shopping later." She grumbled.

I laughed. Thalia never was a girly girl- preferring black and and band shirts, among other things.

That's how, thirty minutes later I found myself in the mall chatting with Thalia and two other girls I had just met.

We clicked instantly.

Piper had the prettiest eyes, they seemed to change colours as you looked at them. She had choppy brown hair, and her skin was tanned to go with it. She had a way with words, and was a very passionate person. Less logical and more emotional.

Hazel had curly dark hair, and her skin was the colour of cocoa. She had golden eyes, and if you looked closely they looks light brown and flecked with real gold. She was artistic, and I learned she had a knack for horse riding.

We walked along looking at different shops and putting together random outfits for each other to try on. It felt nice, getting out of my anti-social bubble. I just never had very many friends growing up.

Somehow we ended up in Sephora, attempting to do makeup looks on each other when I saw her.

She had black booties paired with a deep teal A-line skirt, and a white blouse tucked into it. Above her plunging neckline she wore a chunky white necklace. Her hair was artificially curled this time and she had a neutral makeup look. She was carrying a mountain of bags, no doubt from all her shopping.

I clenched my fists as she made eye contact with me.

Gliding over, she stopped in front of Piper and smiled sweetly.

"Piper, darling, glad to see your disguise is still holding up with the media," she turned and looked at Hazel, "and Hazel, how are you and Frankie doing? Past the love-sick puppy stage I hope." Her smile was sickening.

She glared at me for one moment before passing on, and I got the idea that If she knew these girls- I did not play my cards just yet.

I feigned confusion.

"Screw off Rachel," Piper snarled.

"Oh catty now aren't we?" Rachel pouted.

Circling us like a shark, she pushed Piper slightly on the shoulder. Piper scowled and Rachel smiled one last time and left.

"Who was that?" I asked, hoping they didn't catch my reaction at the start.

Piper narrowed her eyes at me, "Our friends girlfriend. She used to be nice but something changed after they started dating. Percy is too nice to dump her; always saying that she isn't so bad when they're alone," Piper snorted, "Yeah right!"

My throat closed up.

"That's not fun."

The rest of the shopping experience felt forced, and I had to excuse myself early. I hugged Thalia goodbye, and rushed home.

How did I connect myself with Percy's friend group? What a coincidence.

* * *

 **The plot is thickening! Tee Hee! Do you like how many connections I've made between Percy and Annabeth? It's as if fate wanted them to be together!**

 **P.S. It's also the single handed reason I made Nico straight besides maybe making him more open.**


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